Department of Learning Technologies News Item
Dallas AI proudly welcomes Dr. Kinshuk, Dean of the College of Information, to its esteemed Advisory Board, marking a significant step toward bridging the gap between industry and academia, in line with Dallas AI's mission to foster an AI hub in the region.
Dr. Atikah Shemshack, a 2021 UNT graduate with a Ph.D. in Learning Technologies, was recently appointed the CEO/Superintendent of Promesa Academy, a prominent public charter school in San Antonio. Her journey to this leadership position was shaped significantly by her experiences at UNT, and she attributes her success to the exceptional support and mentorship she received, particularly from her committee chair, Dr. Kinshuk.
Before Rhonda Christensen entered the classroom as a first-year teacher, she thought she was well-prepared for the rigors of the role. As an education major, she had taken all the required courses and completed her pre-service hours, assisting seasoned instructors with curriculum and classroom management.
Stemming From Disaster: People are often unaware of the impact Natural Disasters can have on a community, and are even less aware of the processes involved to fix what was destroyed. In addition, kids are often told to go into STEM fields, but are often not given any direction or information about different jobs or career paths within STEM. To inform people about these issues, our team is developing a simulation in Unreal Engine 4 that immerses kids in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
Congrats to Dr. Regina Kaplan-Rakowski on her promotion to Assistant Professor starting fall 2022.
Before, joining the Learning Technologies Department, she was already quite accomplished with several degrees: DelMar College: Associate of Arts (Liberal Arts), TAMUCC: Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (Elementary Education), TAMUCC: Master of Science (Curriculum & Instruction), and The George Washington University: Post Grad Certificate (Educational Technology Leadership).
Christal Brewster, 2-time UNT alumna plus Learning Technologies Certificate holder, credits her MA English as a Second Language for her communication, writing, and teaching skills as well as knowledge of adult learning theory, and her Certificate in Learning Technologies for her technical and design skills.
Middle school students experienced hands-on technology-infused learning engagement activities developed through six years of NASA funding at Discovery Park on Dec 1. Areas featured were:
Dr. Moncia Surrency just successfully defended her dissertation, "Examining Usability, Navigation, and Multimedia Learning Principles in an Intentionally Designed Asynchronous Online College Course – A Usability Study." She is working as a Sr. Instructional Designer at a private university in Florida. Infobytes asker her some questions about her experience:
Infobytes: What positive experience would you like to share about your time in the College of Information?
